Building construction



@ecb 25y E936 n J. B. sTRAUss BUILDlNG CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. l2 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 D@ 25, w23. @www J. B; STRAUSS BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed sem, 12 1921 5 sheets-sheet 2 De@ 25 E923. 3.9478914192 J. B. STRAUSS BULDINGvcoNsTRUcTIoN Filed Sent, l2 1921 Y 5 Sheets-'Sheet 3 mec. 259 w23.. www2 l J. B j. sTRAUss BUILDING CONSTRUCTION File@ Sept. 12 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 X\ w g 1 L i E K w vJc/Qf?taf LsQp/v/azwks De@ z5, ma. @g4-mm2 J. E. STRAUSS BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. l2 1921. 5 SheeSuSheBc 5 Patented Dec. 2 1923.

HT@ SM1-TES anne JOSEPH B. STRAUSS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed September 12, 1 7921. Serial No. 499,925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH B. STRAUss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois. have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Building Constructions, of which l.the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to improvements in building constructions and has for its object to provide a new and improved device of this description. The invention has among other objects toprovide a construction where the roof may be opened and closed easily and quickly so as to secure an open structure and provide an outdoor condition in favorable weather, and a closed structure during inclement weather.

The invention has other-objects which are more specifically set forth in the following description. j

Referring now to the drawings- Fig. l is a side elevation of one form of structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the roof closed;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the roof open;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the lower end of one of the opening sections;

5 is a diagrammatic plan view of the Hoor when the roof is open;

Fig. 6 is a view showing the invention applied yto a balcony;

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

The invention may be applied to building structures of any desired kind and T have simply attempted to show certain applications of the invention for purposes of illus-l tration.

Referring now to the drawings T have shown in Fig..1, one application of the invention. In this construction there are two permanently closed sections l and 2 of the building and an intermediate section which ma be opened. The opening portion of the bui ding is provided with s1de walls 3 and roof sections 4, preferably connected together so as to form a single opening element.

There may be any number of these opening elements along the side as desired. The opening elements are pivoted at 5, such pivots preferably being in the form of trunnions and. being mounted upon supports 6 (see Fig. 4). Each opening section is properly counterweighted by a suitable counterweight 7, so as to be properly counter. balanced, in order that the opening sections may be easily and quickly moved to their opened or closed positions. The counterweights are pivotally connected at 8 with the opening sections, and are preferably connected by links 9 which are pivoted to the counterweight and to the supports 6 which in this case are shown as A frames. The opening sections may be operated in any desired manner. As herein shown they are provided with racks 10 which are engaged by pinions 11 on the shaft 12, mounted on the supports 6. This shaft is operated by an suitable motor, such as the motor 13. The walls 3 and roof sections 4 are preferably of truss construction and the walls 3 are arranged so that their innerfaces 14 may be used as a floor when the sections are opened as illustrated in Fig. 3. Under these conthe outer ends of these wall sect-ions.

When the opening sections are opened as shown in Fig. 3, the roof sections 4 act as walls or side railings so as to prevent accidents. A stationary roof section 1G may be provided if desired' so as to shorten the roof sections 4 in order to prevent them from being too high when acting as railings, and this is particularly desirable in wide buildings. The opening sections are pivoted sections and rotate instead of slide, and when there is a stationary roof section, the roof sections 4 when closed preferably project under the edges of the stationary roof section so as to provide a weathertight joint.

I prefer to arrange railings or short walls 17 at the ends of the wall sections 3, and in such a position that when the wall sections are lowered to become floor sections, the wall or railing 17 will protect the ends thereof. These sections are shown in Fig. 5 and may be a part of the building when the building uditions there are provided supports 15 for made expressly `for this purpose. It will be noted that when the sections are closed they form Wall and roof sections and that when the sections are open they' form the floor and Wall sections or` side railing.

In Fig. 6 I have shown the construction applied. to balconies. In this construction the balcony 18 may be provided With thel section like that shown in Fig. 2 and may consist of the side wall portion 3 andthe roof portion 4 divided and counterweighted as shown in Fig. t. The leaf portion4 in balcony construction may not be necessary,

but a railing will be necessary, and hence an .angular portion ivill be desirable at the upper end of the wall to act as such railing. When the section is open, the wall 3 actsas the floor and greatly enlarges the balcony and gives the out-door effect desired.

It will be noted that there is a stationary or permanent floor portion for the balconyk 18 and that the Wall sections 3 When opened come into alignment Withthis permanent or stationary ioor section so as to form an addition thereto.

I have described in detail a particular construction embodying the invention butit is of course evident that the parts may be varied in many particulars, Without departing from the spirit of the invention as embodied in the claims hereto appended, and I therefore do not limit myself to the particular construc-l tion shown.

I claim:

1. A building construction comprisingA a Wall and roof section, and means for moving said Wall and roof section to an open position Where the wall becomes a floor and the roof a Wall and holding means for holding the parts in this latter position so that the floor can be used as a floor.

2. A building construction comprising Wall and roof sections connected together and pivotally mounted, and a counteriveight connected with said sections and arranged to counterbalance the same, and means for moving said Wall and roof sections to an open or closed position and meansv for holding said Wall when in its open position so that it can be used as a floor.

3. A building construction comprising a Wall portion, a roof portion connected there to and projecting at an angle therefrom, the

Wall'portion being pivotally mounted near its base, a counteriveight connected with said Wall portion, and means for moving the wall portion from a vertical to a horizontal position and means for holding the Wall in its horizontal position so that it acts as a floor.

4. A building construction comprising a permanent ioor section, a wall section near the edge of said permanent floor section and pivotally mounted in position, a roof section atthe edge of the permanent floor section,.

a roof section connected with said Wall section and projecting laterally therefrom and cooperating Withthe permanent roof section when the parts are in their closed position, and means for moving said Wall and roof section so as to open the structure.

6. A building construction comprising a permanent floor section, a permanent roof section and Wall section pivotally mounted at the edge 4of the permanent floor section, a roof section `connectedwith said Wall section and projecting laterally therefrom and cooperating with the permanent roof section when the parts are in their closed position, and means formoving said wall and roof section so as to open the structure, a counterweight connected With said Wall section and acting to balance it, and the Wall section when open acting as a floor section to add to the floor area of the permanent floor section.

7. A building construction comprising a floor section, a `roof section and an intervening section between the roof section and the floor section which acts either asa floor section or a Wally section.

Y 8. A building construction comprising a permanentv floor section,a movable section adjacent to said permanent Hoor section and having a face adapted to act as an addition for said floor section Whenthe movable section is in one position, and means for moving said movable section to a position at an angle to the floor section so that it acts as a Wall.

9. A building construction comprising a permanent floor section, 'an opening Wall section pivotally mounted adjacent to one edge of said fioor section and adapted to be moved so that it will act either as a Wall section or a floor section, and protecting means at the edge of said opening Wall section whenv it is in its open position, and which forms a closure for said edge.

l0. A building construction comprising tivo permanently closed sections, an inter" having a.l permanent Hoor section, pivoted them, said roof sections forming protecting wail sections nem" the edge of sai-d perma- Walls for the Wall sections when they are nent H001l section, and means for moving moved to convert them into ioor sections, 10 said pivoted wall sections to convert them Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and 5 into foor sections to form additions to said State of Illinois, this 24th day of August,

permanent floor, roof sections connected 1921. with said Weil sections and moving with JOSEPH B. STRAUSS, 

